Heart of a Monster
by sol-li
Summary: As the group arrives at a misty mountain, Inuyasha begins to act strangely. When he suddenly changes into a berserk demonic form, Kagome's life is in danger unless the group can uncover what has caused the transformation.
1. Heart of a Monster Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE  
  
*  
  
"I am so dead," Kagome moaned.  
  
Sango shifted her boomerang higher on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Kagome?" the demonslayer asked. "You've been upset for the past week. Has something happened?"  
  
"Well, I'm flunking algebra," Kagome said morosely. "That really isn't anything new. But I got my pop quiz scores, and they were pretty bad -- especially since there's a test scheduled for next week. I don't know HOW I'm going to get through it."  
  
"I really do think you should take a break from your schooling, and try to focus on finding the jewel shards," Miroku said thoughtfully. "It can't hurt. And that way, you won't be quite so distracted."  
  
Kagome sighed. "Don't tempt me."  
  
Ahead of them, Inuyasha was walking with his head bowed and shoulders hunched. Kagome frowned. He had been unusually quiet and reserved for the past day or so, like he was wrapped up in his own thoughts. He wasn't usually so quiet for so long. At night he's been up hiding in trees, Kagome thought. And during the day, he hardly speaks to anyone.  
  
She ran ahead until she was beside him. "Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "Hello, anyone home?"  
  
"Yeah, what?" Inuyasha said, not looking at her.  
  
"Are you okay? You've been acting kind of weird for the past few days."  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine."  
  
Kagome frowned. "Well, you don't act fine."  
  
"Will you leave me alone?" Inuyasha snapped. He strode on faster, still not meeting her eyes. Kagome looked after him, annoyed and still concerned. He was acting funny. Not like he did when he met Kikyo, but similarly. It was like he was afraid to look her in the eye.  
  
Inuyasha could feel himself sweating as he walked quickly away from the group. He wasn't sure himself why he was in such a bad mood. Whatever dreams he had had the night before had unsettled him, and he had woken up in a foul mood. It wasn't Kagome's fault, and he already regretted snapping at her. But he just wished she would leave him alone until he felt less strange.  
  
A heavy mist was rolling over the woods they were walking through. Inuyasha sniffed the air, thankful yet again that he had such a sensitive nose. He smelled only the scent of birds. Apparently there was nothing sinister about this mist. Inuyasha rubbed his face, wishing that night would fall so he could be alone.  
  
"Do you smell anything, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Nothin'," Inuyasha said. "The air is just damp, I guess. Are we gonna make camp soon or what?"  
  
"Inuyasha, it's only a few hours after noon," Sango protested.  
  
"Yeah, so?" Inuyasha said tensely. "I want to take a look around this place. You got a problem with that?"  
  
No one answered, though they looked at one another in surprise.   
  
"Well then," Inuyasha said, turning and heading toward the nearest clearing. Inwardly, he cursed. Dammit, why did I just snap like that? he thought. I'm gonna keep my mouth shut for the rest of the day, unless there's something I can actually say...  
  
The half-demon sank under a tree and into his own thoughts as the others began making camp. Miroku gathered some sticks and tried unsucessfully to set fire to them. They only broke apart, and the sparks refused to ignite. "It's too wet," he said," the monk said. "Shippo, do you think you could help out."  
  
"Glad to!" Shippo said, tripping over. A flash of bluish fire sprayed from the fox's tiny hands, washed over the wood. The next time Miroku tried, the wood sputtered into flame immediately.   
  
Kagome and Sango came close to the fire to warm their chilled hands. But Inuyasha stayed away, staring off into the mist. It was cold out, but he didn't feel the chill as strongly as the others did. He was starting to feel too warm, in fact. The half demon shifted up slightly. Damn fog, he thought. I can't see a damn thing for miles around. It's clogging up the scents too.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome said, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay? I know you said you were, but you look kind of upset."  
  
"I'm not upset," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "I don't have a problem."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. Heart of a Monster Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO  
  
*  
  
Inuyasha's strange feelings persisted as the day wore on. He sprawled on a tree branch, staring off into space and wondering why he felt this way. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. One thing he knew: it wasn't good...  
  
"Ramen."  
  
Inuyasha blinked. "Hmm?"  
  
Kagome knocked on the tree trunk. "Your ramen is ready."  
  
"Not hungry."  
  
"Inuyasha, come on," Kagome wheedled. "You've spent all day off by yourself. Come back and join the rest of civilization."  
  
"Don't want to."  
  
But somehow Inuyasha found himself back at the campfire, sullenly slurping down his cup of ramen. Kagome had the knack of getting him to do what she wanted, he reflected darkly. Except when it came to Kikyo. If she hadn't had this influence over him, right from the start, he would have gutted Koga and blocked up the well with a boulder.  
  
He listened to the others chatting to one another, discussing their last hunt for jewel shards. That had been a nasty one -- lots of small demon beetles overrunning a town, led by one that had a shard embedded in its nasty, swollen body. Inuyasha glanced around at the misty trees and mountains, and wondered if there was another one nearby. Probably not. Kagome would have sensed it if there was.  
  
Then he dropped his cup. "I smell something."  
  
The others stopped talking. "What is it?" Sango asked, picking up her boomerang.  
  
"I don't know," Inuyasha said, sniffing the air. "I can't smell it clearly with all this damn fog clogging up my nose. But I'll bet it's a demon of some kind..."  
  
A few minutes later, they were racing over the foggy fields. Kagome squinted over Inuyasha's shoulder at the ground. It was faint, but she could see it -- a giant shadow spreading over the ground, moving away from them very, very fast. It looked almost like a bat's shadow.  
  
"It may be big, but it can't go too fast," Inuyasha grunted. "Hang on tight."  
  
"Okay," Kagome said.  
  
Inuyasha raced over an open expanse and skidded to a stop at the bottom of a sheer cliff. Kirara, with the others on her back, stopped right behind him. The giant fire-cat was sniffing the air as well, and her fur was starting to rise as if she were getting upset.   
  
"She's very restless," Sango said.  
  
"So'm I," Inuyasha muttered, glancing around. "That demon went up higher on the cliff. Probably has a nest or something there."  
  
"Is there a reason why we're chasing it, Inuyasha?" Miroku said, climbing off Kirara's back.  
  
"Whaddaya mean?"  
  
"I mean that we usually don't chase demons unless they are allied with Naraku, or else have a jewel shard. Is there a particular reason why we're pursuing a demon that seems to be neither?" Miroku asked, crossing his arms.  
  
A strange blank look came over Inuyasha's face, and for a moment Kagome thought he almost looked alarmed at the question. Then the mask of anger came back. "I don't have to explain nothin' to you!" he almost shouted at the monk. "Get off my back, willya?"  
  
"There's no need to be upset about a simple question," Miroku said almost too calmly.  
  
"If you're buggin' me, there's plenty of reasons!"  
  
Kirara growled softly, interrupting the argument. "I could try taking Kirara up further, closer to the summit," Sango said, looking up at the sky and stroking her fire-cat's head.  
  
"That may not be wise," Miroku said pensively. "With this much fog, you might not be able to see the demon coming if it attacked."  
  
Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. But his back was turned to her, and his face was bowed down toward the ground. A chill went through Kagome as she saw him lean over toward the cliffside, with a curled fist pressed against it. "I-Inuyasha?" she asked, taking a step toward him.  
  
A feral growl was the answer she got.  
  
Kagome moved back, shocked; the others fell silent. Inuyasha's silver hair had fallen over his face, hiding his expression from the others. But as he suddenly looked up at her, it parted to reveal stark red eyes with slitted pupils. A full demon's eyes.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. Heart of a Monster Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE  
  
*  
  
Kagome gasped as Inuyasha raised his head. He was staring straight at her with those blood-red eyes, as if he had never seen her before. And now she could see that his fangs had lengthened over his lips, and his claws were almost as long as her fingers.  
  
How did this happen? He's got the Tetsusaiga! Kagome thought. Something's gone wrong...  
  
"Kagome!" Miroku shouted. "Stay away from him. Get behind me!"  
  
"Kagome!" wailed Shippo.  
  
Kagome wanted nothing more than to do what Miroku said. But when she started to move back, Inuyasha snarled viciously and started toward her. Automatically she froze, hoping he would leave her alone. Certainly she couldn't outrun him or outfight him...  
  
"No!" Miroku shouted. Quickly he swung his staff at Inuyasha's throat -- only to have the demon catch it with one hand. The rings on it jangled in the silence -- then Inuyasha tore it away and smashed Miroku to the ground with it. Shippo and Sango ran to the fallen monk.  
  
"Miroku, are you all-" Kagome started to say.  
  
But then the violent, full-demon Inuyasha grabbed her. As the others watched in horror, he held her tightly against his chest. Without a moment's pause, he leaped up into the fog, up the sheer cliffside, with Kagome held tightly in his arms. Miroku opened his eyes again just in time to see the dark shapes vanish above them.   
  
"KAGOME!" Shippo shouted. He ran to the bottom of the cliff as fast as he could.  
  
"Kirara! Follow them and try to get her back!" Sango commanded.  
  
The fire-cat roared and ran up into the sky, also vanishing into the fog.  
  
Miroku wiped some blood from his forehead. His vision was blurry and he felt dizzy, but he could stand... slowly. "Be careful," Sango said, supporting him. "He hit you pretty hard."  
  
"I know," Miroku said slowly. "But I'm not the one you should be concerned about."  
  
*  
  
Kagome shrieked as she and Inuyasha soared up the cliffside. He was holding her so tightly that her ribs felt as if they were cracking. His wicked-looking claws were digging into her back. After a moment she stopped struggling. If she managed to get away from him now, she would only end up smashed to pieces at the bottom of the cliff...  
  
What's he going to do to me? she thought.   
  
Inuyasha landed heavily on a ledge, paused for a moment, then leapt up again.   
  
Kagome could feel something bumping against her hip. It was Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha's powerful sword wasn't just a weapon -- it was supposed to keep his demon blood from overwhelming his half-human body and driving him crazy. When it had been broken by the ogre Goshinki, he had transformed into a death-hungry full-demon with even greater strength. Only Kagome's "sit" had saved him. He had transformed a few times more after that, once slaughtering a bunch of bandits, and every time he had acted crazier and more bloodthirsty.  
  
Kagome shivered and squeezed her eyes shut. That first time, he had warned her to stay away because he didn't know what he might do to her. But this time... what was he going to do? "Inuyasha, please let me go," she whispered.  
  
He just growled.   
  
Finally Kagome saw something through the fog -- a dark hole in the cliffside. The demon Inuyasha landed right outside it, and practically shoved her into the small cave. Kagome crawled on her hands and knees, with him giving her sharp pushes on her bottom to make her go faster. She crept to the far end of the wide, round cave, and tried to make herself as small as possible.  
  
Inuyasha crept in as well. Her heart began to pound as he stopped and just stared at her with his scarlet eyes. Blocking the exit from the cave.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. Heart of a Monster Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
*  
  
"Kagome!" Sango shouted.  
  
"KAGOOOOMMEEEEEE!" Shippo echoed.  
  
"It's no use," Miroku said darkly. "Even if Kagome is unharmed, I doubt Inuyasha will simply let her walk away... or cry out."  
  
"What does he want with her?" Shippo cried, hopping onto Miroku's shoulder. "I mean, he can't be planning to eat her, can he? He wouldn't do that, would he?"  
  
"Only Inuyasha knows what he intends for Kagome," Miroku said vaguely, avoiding the question. He didn't want to contemplate what the full-demon probably had in store for the near-helpless girl from the future. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Inuyasha had done nothing but destroy as a full demon, one of the reasons why he was so determined to keep his blood sealed.  
  
"And unfortunately we don't know what that is," Sango said grimly.  
  
"But he wouldn't hurt Kagome!" Shippo said. "He's always trying to save her. So why would he hurt her?"  
  
"Remember that Inuyasha is not in his right mind," Miroku reminded him. "In many ways, he is not even himself any longer. He does things as a full demon that he would never do normally. And... remember that he once warned Kagome that while a full demon, he might harm her."  
  
"Almost as important," Sango added, "we need to find out what has caused this transformation. Inuyasha still had Tetsusaiga when he transformed, so he should have remained only half-demon."  
  
"You're right," Miroku said. He glanced up at the misty cliffs and swaying trees. "There's something about this place, I think. Something that caused Inuyasha to feel strange when we arrived, and then made his demon blood go wild and overwhelm his half-human heart."  
  
"But what about Kagome?" Shippo said. "We just can't sit here and let Inuyasha hurt her! We gotta find her!"  
  
"We will find her," Miroku promised. I just hope that what we find is not too terrible, he added inside his head.  
  
*  
  
Okay, Kagome thought, trying to stay calm. Inuyasha has turned into a demon for no good reason... he kidnapped me and took me to this damp smelly little cave... and now he's sitting between me and the only way out, and I don't know what he's going to do to me...  
  
She crept back a little. Inuyasha was crouching at the mouth of the cave, with his clawed fingers splayed on the floor. He was watching her intently. "Um... Inuyasha," Kagome said in a small voice. "Um... can I... could I get out?"  
  
For a moment she was afraid that he was going to kill her right there and then. When he was like this, Inuyasha could attack anyone without a moment's hesitation, and kill them just as fast. And there wasn't any other reason for him to drag her up a mountainside against her will.  
  
Kagome felt a warm trickle on her cheek. She wiped it away absently, and the motion made Inuyasha stare at her. "I-I guess I scraped it when I was coming in," she stammered.  
  
Inuyasha growled again. He could speak as a full-demon, but for some reason he had kept quiet except for that growl the whole time.  
  
Kagome huddled against the wall, trying to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible. This is really freaking me out, she thought. I could try to "sit" him, but... since he turned into a demon for no good reason, it might just make him mad at me rather than turning him back to normal again.  
  
Suddenly she felt his eyes staring at her again. Not the way he had been watching her before -- more intently now. He sniffed the air, and his red eyes narrowed. He began to creep toward her on his hands and knees, since he was too tall to stand up in the cramped cave. Kagome inched back, getting more nervous at the intent look on his face. "Inu... yasha... what is it?" she whispered.  
  
The savage demon stopped just in front of her, staring at her face.  
  
Kagome backed away. Her stomach was flipflopping madly. Suddenly Inuyasha's taloned hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it to hard. Kagome cried out and tried to kick his arm away, but his other hand was suddenly on her shoulder. He pushed her roughly down onto the ground, his demon strength pinning her to the cold rock floor. She couldn't move her arms, and he was pressing one of his knees on her legs to keep her from kicking him again. His face was only a few inches from hers, and his body was keeping her pinned and helpless. He was strong enough as a half-demon, but as a full-demon she couldn't even start to fight him off...  
  
Kagome was too terrified to make a sound. What was he trying to do to her?  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. Heart of a Monster Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
*  
  
Kagome was too terrified to make a sound. Her hands were going numb from the tight grip Inuyasha had on her wrists, and however much she struggled, she couldn't even budge. He stared down at her impassively, breathing hard. There was no sign in his face of what he was thinking. Kagome panicked silently; was he planning to kill her? Or rape her?   
  
She cringed and squeezed her eyes shut as he moved his face down towards hers. Then she felt it. Inuyasha was licking the scrape on her cheek like a dog, cleaning the smears of blood from her skin.  
  
Is that all he was doing? Kagome thought. A wave of relief went through her. She went limp, not fighting him as he continued licking her bleeding cheek, until he was apparently satisfied. Then he released her hands and sat up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.  
  
But he didn't get up. After scrutinizing the girl in front of him, Inuyasha grabbed a handful of her dark hair and clumsily dried off her cheek. Then he slid off her and crept into his own corner of the cave, making a strange rasping sound in his throat.   
  
"Th-thanks," Kagome said shakily, sitting up.  
  
He made a sound that might have been a word, but it was too faint for her to hear. Kagome curled up and rested her knees on her chin, not taking her eyes from the demon that had overtaken the Inuyasha she knew. He's somewhere inside, she thought. I KNOW he is... if he weren't, then he never would have been that... he would have actually HURT me when he smelled my blood, not tried to get rid of it. If I could try to reason with him... he's not mindless, even when he's like this... he's not in control of himself, but he's not totally OUT of control either.  
  
She touched her scraped cheek. "Inuyasha," she said softly. "We... we have to go back to the others. If we can find out why this happened-"  
  
Kagome saw his tensed shoulders stiffen. "No," he growled, the first word he had spoken. "We're not safe out there."  
  
There was a cold certainty in his words that made Kagome shiver. Scratch the idea of trying to reason with him, she thought.   
  
Then she heard a sound -- the sound of her name being called. Sango! she thought. Kagome crept toward the tiny exit, calling, "Sango, I'm-" Inuyasha pounced before she could finish her sentence. One of his arms pinned her close to him, while his hand clapped over her mouth. Kagome winced and wriggled. "Ow," she mumbled.  
  
The sound of Sango's voice got louder... then faded away. Kagome sagged against the wall, disappointed. And Inuyasha crept away from her. His red eyes were glowing in the dim light. "Not a sound," he growled.  
  
Kagome's heart was still racing from when he had grabbed her again. Why did he keep me from calling Sango? she thought. Does he think... he's protecting me?  
  
A gutteral growl came from Inuyasha's throat. He stared at Kagome for a moment, with a look of hunger on his face. Then he crept to the exit and leaped off the edge, vanishing into the mist. Kagome waited for him to return, but he didn't.  
  
All right! she thought, creeping over to the tunnel on her hands and knees. Even if he's gone only a few minutes, I can get out of here! I can...  
  
She looked over the edge, and felt sick. It was a nearly sheer cliff stretching below her, shrouded in mist and dripping with fallen rain. It would take a demon to scale that cliff, or climb back down to the ground. When the mist parted in the wind, Kagome winced. She still couldn't see the ground.  
  
"I can fall off and get turned into jam at the bottom," Kagome mumbled. She slid back into the chilly, damp little cave, and tried to think of what to do.  
  
*  
  
He raced in a red haze through the woods nearby. He was hungry. He could still taste her blood in his mouth, on his lips, but somehow he felt reluctant to hurt her. She was safe, in that cave -- safe from him, too, if he killed now. Until his lust for death had been sated, until his appetite for bloodshed had been satisfied... then he would go back.  
  
Something darted through the trees. Inuyasha grinned and changed direction, following the small, frightened demon through the woods. His sharp claws slashed out, tearing the creature to bloodied shreds. He ran on for awhile longer, cutting down beasts and demons that were stupid enough to cross his path. They were all too easy.  
  
But the jabs of pleasure he felt at each death were enough to satisfy him for the time being. He dragged the half-devoured carcass of a deer to the bottom of a cliff, and leaped up onto a high ledge. Blood still stained his fingers and long claws.  
  
Then a familiar growl reached his ears. An expression crossed his face, half grimace and half smile.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. Heart of a Monster Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX  
  
*  
  
Suddenly Sango saw him through the mists. Kirara had started growling and bristling as she raced along the mountain cliffsides. The demon-slayer had scanned the crevices and ledges for any sign of Inuyasha or Kagome -- and then she had seen him, on a wide ledge close to the ground. Then she smelled blood.  
  
Oh no, she thought. He couldn't have... not to Kagome...  
  
She could only see his silver hair and red clothing, not his face. Then the mists parted and she saw him clearing, huddled over against the rock face. He was licking drops of blood from his too-long claws. A rumbling growl rose from his throat -- and then he grinned at them.  
  
"INUYASHA!" Sango shouted.   
  
He sprang toward them. Sango felt his claws slashing toward her, and she barely ducked out of the way. Kirara growled and landed on the ledge Inuyasha had just jumped from. The snarling demon swooped past her, then turned and glare down at her. There was no trace of the Inuyasha she knew in those glaring red eyes.  
  
That blood... if he hurt Kagome... Sango thought.  
  
As Inuyasha came down toward her again, she raised her boomerang and threw it. It sliced through the air at Inuyasha... who somehow dodged it. He smashed his fist against the flat side of it, sending it careening down into the mud. "Don't think that's all it takes to beat me," he growled, smiling at Sango again.  
  
Sango felt a chill. She didn't know if Inuyasha had hurt or killed Kagome, but she was sure he was trying to kill HER. And he was a formidable enough opponent as a half-demon, able to take horrible injuries and come back fighting. As a berserk full-demon, he was nearly impossible to defeat. And now she was without her boomerang as well.  
  
If I don't get away from him quickly, I'm dead, she thought.   
  
As Inuyasha took another swipe at her, Sango drew a short sword and slashed at him. She only gave him a thin cut on the cheek. His red eyes blazed with rage; he slashed down at Kirara's flank. The fire-cat yowled and raced away, with blood streaming from the wound in her leg.   
  
Sango raised her sword, ready to strike again. But Inuyasha had faded into the mists -- something had distracted his attention, and given her the time she needed to escape.  
  
Kirara transformed, turning into a small, innocent-looking demon cat. She mewed softly, licking at her injured leg. Sango gathered her friend in her arms, feeling more miserable than ever. Kirara was injured, she had lost her weapon... and Kagome might be dead at Inuyasha's hands.  
  
Then the demon-slayer froze. A dark shadow passed over them.  
  
*  
  
"I can't see where I'm going," Shippo complained. "All this mist! How are we supposed to find Kagome and Inuyasha if we can't see?"  
  
Miroku sighed. He had just been wondering that himself. "We don't actually have a very good chance of finding them down here," he said quietly. "But it's better than nothing -- and with Sango riding Kirara up there, we have a slightly better chance than if we were all together."  
  
Shippo tripped along beside Miroku in silence for awhile. Then the little fox said quietly, "Miroku... do you think Inuyasha will hurt Kagome?"  
  
Miroku was tempted to tell Shippo a comforting lie. But he reluctantly said, "I honestly don't know, Shippo. Inuyasha himself may not know..."  
  
They lapsed back into silence, wandering through the heavy fog. The trees were only vague shapes in the mist, and the mountain was a fading slab of darkness looming over them. Miroku was starting to feel deeply depressed by the place, and the misfortunes that had visited them there. Then a flicker of movement caught his eyes. "Quickly, behind the rocks!" he whispered.  
  
When he and Shippo were safely hidden behind a boulder, he peered out. Whatever was out there, it wasn't Kagome or Inuyasha -- the robed figure was walking slowly, hunched over. Shippo squinted at it, then shrugged. "It's just some old lady," he said.  
  
Miroku shook his head. "Maybe, maybe... but I don't think that's all there is."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. Heart of a Monster Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN  
  
*  
  
I'm going to catch a cold, Kagome thought, huddling against the hard, damp wall. Water was dripping down from cracks in the ceiling of the cave. Her short, thin uniform was almost soaked.  
  
Chills ran down her spine as an unearthly shriek rang out. Kagome shrank back against the wall as something flew by... followed by a streak of silver and red. Inuyasha! she thought, creeping closer to the exit. Outside, there was nothing but treetops, and little swirls of mist.  
  
Then she saw something dark swoop down toward her, and barely got back in time. A squawking reptilian head slammed into the small cave entrance, struggling to get into the tiny space. Then suddenly it was dragged out, and the squawking was silenced.  
  
Then Inuyasha sprang in. His hands were bloodstained, and he was breathing hard.  
  
Oh man, Kagome thought, cringing. Well, at least.... he tried to protect me from that demon...  
  
She watched Inuyasha wipe the blood on his clothing, still breathing hard. He had that look she hated so much -- the look of enjoyment that he got, when he killed as a full demon. It scared her more than any threats could.  
  
Time seemed to crawl in the cave. Inuyasha just sat there and stared at Kagome impassively. And she just looked at him warily from her corner of the cave. Neither one of them spoke.  
  
I'm going to crack, Kagome thought. I'm going to completely lose it. I've been sitting here with him staring at me for hours and hours, and the pressure is getting to me. I'm going to crack...  
  
She tried to stop a yawn, but it escaped. Today has been so stressful... I'm all worn out. But I can't fall asleep, she thought. If I fall asleep...  
  
Before long, Kagome had dozed off.  
  
*  
  
"Hey, excuse me!" Shippo called.  
  
I don't like this, Miroku thought, shrinking behind the boulder. He could see Shippo scampering after the old woman from where he sat. I should have told Shippo to stay while I went...  
  
The woman turned around, and Miroku saw her face for the first time. "Crone" was too kind a term; she was the oldest, most haggard-looking woman he had ever seen in his life. Her face was lined and scarred like the moon, and sagging heavily like worn silk. Her gnarled hand was clutching a staff, and the other... Miroku frowned, and tried to see what it was. Her fingers were obscuring the object.   
  
Shippo bounced over, looking as cute as he could manage. "Scuse me, I'm lost," he announced.  
  
The old woman stared down at him with bloodshot eyes. "You'd better find a place to hide, child," she grated.  
  
"Why's that?" Shippo asked.  
  
"A mad demon is prowling this mountain. He'll kill anything that he finds."  
  
Miroku's eyes widened. Shippo managed to look mildly concerned, as if he didn't already know. "Really? How'd you know that?" he said.  
  
"I know. Now go, and hide yourself." The old woman turned away and started hobbling off.  
  
A shadow passed overhead, darkening the fog. Miroku grimaced and automatically clutched at the beads on his wrist. Shippo suddenly shouted, "Yow! What's that? Is that a BIRD?"   
  
The old woman chuckled. "Close enough. Now go on."  
  
"Wait just a minute." Deciding he had hidden long enough, Miroku stepped from behind the rock. The rosary was still tangled in his fingers -- if need be, he would unleash the void in his hand. "I want to speak with you, old woman."  
  
The crone's beady eyes seemed to flash. "A monk. I hadn't known that there were any people living near here."  
  
"I travel," Miroku said shortly. "First of all, I want to know how you know that there is a maddened demon on this mountain. Have you seen him?"  
  
"No, no." The old woman chuckled again. "I haven't seen the beast."  
  
Miroku had the uncomfortable feeling that she was mocking him, toying with him. "Then how do you know about him? Tell me at once. Did you have something to do with his transformation?" he demanded.   
  
The old woman didn't answer. She just smiled at him, with the look of a cat contemplating a crippled mouse.  
  
"If you won't answer that," Miroku said grimly, "then show me what you hold in your right hand."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	8. Heart of a Monster Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
*  
  
The old woman smiled with her yellowed, broken teeth. "A clever one, are you now?" she murmured. Her clawlike hand was clutching something small and round and dark, inside her cloak. And when Miroku looked at it, he felt a shiver. It was evil, he could tell.  
  
The monk grimaced. "What have you done to Inuyasha? Who are you? Tell me at once, or I'll suck you into my hand."  
  
"We mean it!" Shippo snapped, trying to puff out his chest. "If you've done something to Inuyasha, we'll make you regret it."  
  
The crone laughed again. "No more questions, boy!"   
  
A swirl of foul-smelling dust whirled around the old woman, obscuring her from sight. Miroku coughed and staggered back, covering his nose and mouth. Shippo gagged and dove away, clutching his tiny throat. Miroku's robes whipped around his legs as the wind began to blow harder... no, it wasn't the wind. A chill went through him as he saw a shadow go over his head.  
  
"Look out, Miroku!" Shippo shouted.   
  
Something shrieked just behind Miroku, and he barely dove out of the way in time. Some kind of winged demon swooped past him -- it had a body shaped like a featherless bird, a bat's wings, and a reptilian head. It was barely bigger than Miroku, but it whipped by so fast that he could barely see it. As he staggered to his feet, it swooped down, caught the crone in its long claws, and flapped off into the misty sky.  
  
"Fox-fire!" Shippo squealed. A blast of blue flame swirled from the little fox to the old woman. The edge of her robe was blasted away, and Miroku heard her curse, saw her protecting that mysterious object with both hands. The demon barely wavered; it just kept flying higher.  
  
"Use your hand, Miroku!" Shippo shouted, hopping up and down.  
  
Miroku started to take off the rosary... then stopped. "I can't," he said heavily.   
  
"Why... why not?"  
  
"I'm sure that woman is somehow connected to Inuyasha's transformation. If I killed her while she holds power over him, it might kill him -- or worse, it could keep him in his demonic state." Miroku sighed and looped the rosary around his wrist again. "Until we know what foul magic she is using... I don't dare to disrupt it."  
  
The monk felt discouraged as he and Shippo resumed trudging through the mist. No sooner had they found clues than the clues vanished. At least we can ride Kirara after those demons, now that we know the old woman is using them, he thought, perking up.  
  
Miroku stiffened as he saw a figure coming through the mist. Then he relaxed as he recognized it. "Sango! Over here!"  
  
Sango was walking with her head down, and blood dripping down her arm. Miroku gasped. "Sango! Is that-"  
  
"It's Kirara," Sango said dully. "We found Inuyasha... but he attacked."  
  
"Damn," Miroku murmured.  
  
"I don't think he recognized us," Sango said. Miroku pulled a length of cloth from his robes and tied up the fire-cat's tiny bleeding leg and side. She mewed pitifully and licked herself. "Or if he recognized us, he didn't care." She swallowed hard. "And... Miroku, when I found him, he was smeared in blood."  
  
"Blood?!"  
  
"Yes, blood. I think he might have... if Kagome is..." Sango seemed unable to say the words. "In his present state, he certainly might have done... something to her. I don't know if it was her, but if it was..."  
  
"We'll have to kill him." Miroku sighed. "But... we shouldn't make any hasty decisions until we know for sure." He tied the bandage in a knot. Kirara purred gratefully. "I have quite a few things to tell you too, Sango. Shippo and I may have unearthed the reason for Inuyasha's mysterious transformation. But with Kirara wounded, things may be a lot harder."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	9. Heart of a Monster Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE  
  
*  
  
Inuyasha woke up with a start.   
  
For a moment, he was disoriented. How the hell did I get here? he thought, looking around. He was in some sort of little cave that smelled like moss and rain, and apparently he'd been asleep. He didn't remember how he came to be here -- or WHY, for that matter. What was even weirder, he could taste... Kagome's blood in his mouth?  
  
And then the half-demon froze. Inuyasha recognized the weird, fuzzy feeling in his head. He had transformed into his full demon form. He scrambled up and banged his head on the cave ceiling.  
  
Kagome was curled up a few feet away. She was hugging herself for warmth, and her schoolgirl uniform looked rather ragged and worn, like it had been roughly handled. By him? Or rather, by that insane monster he became when he transformed into a full demon...  
  
Gods, Inuyasha thought, appalled. I have her blood in my mouth... did I... bite her? Or... rape her? Dammit, dammit...  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha whispered. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her. "Kagome, wake up! Please!"  
  
Kagome woke with a squeak and scooted back away from him. Inuyasha stayed rooted to the spot, almost shaking. What had he done to her? She was scared of him -- and he hadn't scared her for a long time, not intentionally anyway. "K-Kagome," he said, holding out a hand.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome said hesitantly. Then suddenly she was hugging him. "You're back to normal! I'm so glad..."  
  
"K-Kagome," Inuyasha stammered again. "What happened? Are you hurt?" Did I hurt you? he thought.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "I'm just a little frayed around the edges, but you didn't hurt me at all. You just took me up to this cave and kept me inside. Except for a little shoving, you didn't hurt me."  
  
Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Kagome tucked back a strand of hair. "Do you remember anything?" she asked.  
  
Inuyasha searched for memories of the past hours, but he couldn't remember more than a few scraps. The smell of blood, the sight of Kirara, and Kagome, bleeding and frightened, trying to fight him off. That last one scared him most of all. He had always been afraid that as a full demon, he would wound Kagome somehow. Or worse. "No," he lied.  
  
"Well, it was pretty weird." Kagome stared at him. "You transformed for no reason... and you still had Tetsusaiga."  
  
"Yeah." Inuyasha put a hand on his sword. "Kagome... I'm..."  
  
"It's okay," Kagome said. "But why do you think it happened? Could it happen again?" A troubled look came over her face. "Myoga told us... that if you kept transforming, you'd go crazy and then... Inuyasha, if Tetsusaiga isn't working, what will we do?"  
  
Inuyasha avoided her gaze. "We'd better get down to the ground. Here." He slipped out of his baggy red robe and wrapped it around her. "It'll keep you warm in this rotten place."  
  
As they descended down the cliff, Inuyasha hugged Kagome as tightly as he dared, still in the guise of just carrying her down to the ground. He had made up his mind. Now that his decision was made, he felt oddly calm, resigned to it. He stared down through the mist, waiting for these few minutes to end.  
  
After they landed at the bottom of the cliff, Inuyasha set Kagome down and turned away. "Kagome..." he said quietly. "I'm sorry... that I scared you."  
  
"It's okay," Kagome said, wrapping the robe more tightly around herself.  
  
"And Kagome?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Inuyasha wheeled around, staring at her. "Goodbye." He pushed her roughly, then turned and ran.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome hit the ground with an undignified thump, then scrambled to her feet. "INUYASHA!" she called after him. But his form vanished into the swirling mist and melted away.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	10. Heart of a Monster Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN   
  
Inuyasha ran blindly through the fog, as fast as his legs would carry him. Kagome's voice followed him like a ghost, calling for him to come back. But he ignored her. She didn't understand.  
  
I'm sorry, Kagome, he thought.   
  
He didn't dare to look back. And even though he could hear how upset she was, he didn't dare to turn around and comfort her. If he went back now, Inuyasha knew he wouldn't have the strength to leave again. So he ran, on and through the mist, loathing himself with every step.  
  
He cut through the misty forest, jumping lightly over fallen trees and under clinging vines. Finally the sound of Kagome's voice faded away. Though he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, he knew now that he was far, far away from her. She'd be safe, if he couldn't hear or smell her...  
  
He slowed down, skidding to a sloping riverbank. There were smears of mud on his legs from where he had stumbled through the softer, watery ground. He stuck his shaking hands into the water, and splashed it over his face. As the water settled, he stared hollowly at his own reflection. He was flushed and wet, but otherwise he looked normal.  
  
I wonder what I look like when I transform, he thought. Must be pretty horrible, if people are that scared of me.  
  
He touched his cheeks, still watching himself in the water. Dammit, he thought. What's happening to me? Why am I doing these things? The Tetsusaiga's supposed to keep me normal all the time... does this mean... it isn't strong enough anymore?  
  
Inuyasha stared hollowly into his own eyes, thinking back to those moments in the cave. Even now, he could taste Kagome's blood in his mouth. And smell Kirara's blood was on his claws. He had hurt at least one of his friends, and probably more than one. The worst thing was, he couldn't remember just what it was that he had done... and he couldn't go back to his friends.  
  
Disgusted with himself, Inuyasha spent a long time scrubbing his mouth and hands in the silty river water. It didn't make him feel any less dirty. Finally he stopped, wincing. Blood was trickling down his wrists. Without noticing, he had scored dozens of tiny scratches and cuts over his hands, in his wild determination to clean himself off. At least his own blood would cover those smells....  
  
Dejected, Inuyasha licked at his wet hands.  
  
A while later, he was curled up on the bough of a leafless tree. It creaked slightly in the faint wind. Inuyasha didn't care if it was dead, and might collapse under his weight. He just wanted to be alone, and the tree's lifelessness reflected his mood. Kagome and the others would be safe if he wasn't near them. He had almost hurt them in the past, and only the intervention of Sesshomaru had kept that from happening.   
  
How could this happen? he raged. I was supposed to be okay if I kept the Tetusaiga with me, and I didn't put it down for even a minute.   
  
He rested his chin on a small branch. Inuyasha knew all too well what was going to happen if he didn't find a way to stop these transformations, fast. He would keep turning into a full demon, keep slaughtering without caring what he was attacking. He would murder everyone. He wouldn't be able to turn back to normal after awhile... just keep killing... until he himself died. At the rate things were going, it wouldn't be long.  
  
If Inuyasha could keep away from the others... until then... that would be enough.  
  
He glanced back into the mist. His golden eyes softened slightly. I'm sorry, he thought. Kagome... you were the best thing that ever happened to me.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	11. Heart of a Monster Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
Kagome scrambled up from the ground, tripping over the hem of Inuyasha's robe. "Inuyasha, wait!" she cried. "INUYASHA!"  
  
As she stumbled to her feet, she saw him flit off into the mist, the red and white of his clothing fading into gray. Fighting back tears, Kagome stumbled after the half-demon, still calling his name as loudly as she could. Finally she bellowed, "SIT!" But there was no answering crash. He had run too far away for the spell to work.  
  
Kagome kept running, but gradually she slowed down, and fell to her knees. She didn't have a prayer of catching up with Inuyasha. He was too far away, too fast.   
  
Tears welled in her eyes. "Inuyasha," Kagome whispered.   
  
"That does it," Miroku said, leaning on his staff. "We're lost." He pointed at a twisted shape in the mist. "We've passed that three three times."  
  
"Four," Sango said tonelessly. She was holding Kirara in her arms like a baby. The wounded fire-cat was licking herself listlessly, and mewing every now and then. Miroku was glad that her injuries weren't that bad. She wouldn't be able to walk on that leg for awhile, but demons seemed to heal quickly.  
  
What really chilled him was the fact that Inuyasha had nearly killed Sango. Unlike Kirara, Sango did not heal quickly... nor, once deprived of her weapons, could she hope to even slow him down. The idea of a crazed Inuyasha cutting down Sango was enough to make Miroku grip his staff a little too tight, and think about removing his beads.  
  
Suddenly he saw a flash of red in the fog. "Sango!" he whispered.  
  
"I see him," Sango said. She drew her short sword with her free hand.  
  
Miroku prepared to rip off the beads if Inuyasha attacked them. He considered the young half-demon his friend, but he couldn't allow Inuyasha to endanger Sango and Shippo. What's more, in his right mind Inuyasha would demand that Miroku do such a thing...  
  
But there was something odd about this. The red-cloaked shape was moving slowly toward them. It was too small to be Inuyasha... and it was dark-haired. "KAGOME!" Shippo shouted, launching himself off Miroku's shoulder.  
  
Now Miroku could see it clearly -- Kagome, wrapped in Inuyasha's voluminous red robe. Her clothing was a little ragged, and she had a nasty scrape on one cheek -- but she looked unharmed otherwise. He sighed with relief and tightened the rosary on his wrist.  
  
"Kagome!" Sango shouted, running toward her friend. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Kagome said in a small voice. "But... Inuyasha-"  
  
"What happened to him?" Sango asked.  
  
"He's gone. He ran away." Kagome sounded as if she were trying not to cry. "I must've dozed off, and when I woke up he had gone back to normal. But... I... once he took me back down to the ground, he said 'Goodbye' and pushed me over, then ran away."  
  
"But WHY?" Shippo said, clinging to Kagome's arm.  
  
"He didn't wish to endanger you anymore," Miroku said soberly to Kagome. "At least, not until we find out exactly what is causing his transformations, and how to stop them."  
  
Kagome hugged Inuyasha's robe closer around herself. "But I don't know where to even start."  
  
"I do." The monk described the old woman they had encountered, and how he suspected that she held some power over Inuyasha's demon side. "She wasn't a demon, merely a very old human," he finished.  
  
"Then we need to find her and make her take whatever spell she has off Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.  
  
"Well, it won't be easy," Sango said soberly. Kirara mewed in her arms. "Kirara was injured by Inuyasha, and she can't carry anyone for awhile. And I lost my boomerang."  
  
"We'll find a way," Kagome said grimly.   
  
Inwardly, she added, And I'm going to find Inuyasha and make sure hes's okay. I won't let him just run away and be alone.... I'm going to help him! Inuyasha, I'm not going to just let your demon side take over. I'm going to help you fight!  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	12. Heart of a Monster Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE  
  
.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
"Inuyasha, where are you?"  
  
"INUYASHAAAAA!"  
  
Shippo's shrill voice joined Kagome and Miroku's. The kitsune darted under bushes, up tree trunks, and into ravines, still shouting Inuyasha's name. Miroku was waving his staff around to thin the mist, and kept checking the ground for footprints. So far he had found several wolves, squirrels and birds, but no sign of Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome trudged through the tree, scanning the branches for any flashes of red or silver. But there was nothing but grey, grey, and more grey. Leafless branches, shadows and the occasional crow with baleful red eyes. But not even a hint of the half-demon's whereabouts. Inuyasha, you can be such an idiot! she thought furiously. How am I going to help you if you just turn around and run away!  
  
She desperately wanted to stay angry. But she felt it melting into sadness. Inuyasha, she thought, pulling his robe around her. Where have you gone? Are you going to come back? Am I ever going to see you again?  
  
"I think we should stop shouting," Miroku said soberly. "This won't do us any good, Kagome. If we want to find Inuyasha, then we-"  
  
"INUYYYYAAAASHAAAA!" Shippo howled from a streambed. "Where are you? Come out, Inuyasha! Kagome wants to talk to you! INUYAAAASHAAAAA!"  
  
"Shippo, would you come over here?" Miroku called. As the kitsune scampered over to him, he said to Kagome, "I've been thinking, and this isn't the way to find Inuyasha. If he doesn't want to be found, this will only drive him further away. And if he's transformed again.... well, we don't exactly want to draw his attention."  
  
"We have to find him somehow!" Kagome cried. "We can't just leave him by himself! What if that old woman finds him? He wouldn't know about her until it was too late-"  
  
"I wasn't saying that we should stop," Miroku said quickly. "But we won't find him if we run around shouting."  
  
"What if Inuyasha has gone too far for us to find him?" Sango asked, cradling Kirara close to her. "He is a demon, after all. He can run a lot faster than anyone here except Kirara."  
  
"Then there is nothing more we can do for him, except finding the old woman and breaking whatever spell she has cast," Miroku said grimly. "Right now Inuyasha feels guilty and afraid, and hiding is the only way he knows to protect others. If he has continued running, then we may see him again... but not if we cannot break the spell."  
  
"Do you think he's transformed again?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I don't know," Miroku said. He scratched his head. "None of it really makes sense. But we need to go back and find Sango's weapon -- I can kill the winged demons that the old crone was riding, but I can't risk killing her. Not yet. And Kirara won't be able to fight for a few days."  
  
"We'll all go back," Sango said, standing up.  
  
"Not me," Kagome said.   
  
"What?" Shippo said, hopping onto Kagome's shoulder. "But Kagome, how come-"  
  
"I'm sorry, Shippo," Kagome said in a small voice. "But I can't come with you guys. I need to go find Inuyasha and make sure he's okay. Even if I can't keep up with him, I can follow him until I figure out where he is."  
  
"But Kagome," Sango said, looking horrified. "If Inuyasha has transformed again-"  
  
"Inuyasha could have killed me in that cave," Kagome said a little defiantly. "He could have, but he didn't, even if he was being crazy. I-I have to at least try."  
  
Miroku watched her solemnly. "Well, if that is what you think you must do," he said quietly. "Only be careful."  
  
The three watched as Kagome walked off into the woods, until the mist and shadows swallowed her up. Kagome glanced back once, then continued on her way, hugging the robe tighter around her. It kept her warm, but it also reminded her of who she was searching for, and that last kind gesture... right before he had knocked her down.  
  
I'm going to find you, Inuyasha, she thought. I'm going to make sure you're okay.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	13. Heart of a Monster Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN  
  
.  
  
Kagome felt as if she had been walking for hours, even if she was pretty sure it hadn't been anywhere near that long. Her shoes and socks were soaked with dirty water, and she was huddled into Inuyasha's fire-rat robe for warmth.  
  
She paused for a moment. I'm not getting anywhere, she thought. I don't even know where to start looking! Inuyasha could be anywhere now...  
  
Discouraged, she sat down on a rock and tried to think. If I were Inuyasha, she mused, what would I do now? Where would I go? She wracked her brains, but only one thought kept coming into her mind. And she wouldn't think about that! She wouldn't think about even the POSSIBILITY of Inuyasha... hurting himself in any way.  
  
Depressed, Kagome stared up at the misty sky. It was weird. When she had first encountered Inuyasha, she would have done anything to get him off her back. Now... she would do anything to hear him call her an "idiot" again. And Kagome was torn between the urge to throttle him, or to hug him tghtly and cry her eyes out.  
  
Inuyasha... where are you? she thought, looking at the trees.  
  
Then a shadow passed over her.  
  
Kagome stiffened. It was one of those winged demons, flying slowly overhead. For a moment, she was afraid that it had seen her and was swooping in for the kill. But if it saw her, it made no move to attack. Instead it continued flying over the treetops.  
  
It's hunting for Inuyasha! she thought. That old woman must have sent them out to look for him. So if I follow it, it should lead me straight to him!  
  
With a new burst of energy, Kagome ran through the woods, puffing slightly. She was lucky that the demon wasn't flying too fast. The girl splashed through thin, muddy streams and over gnarled tree roots, keeping her eye on the shadows flitting through the clouds. I'm just glad I have my arrows! she thought.  
  
Then she saw him. A faint smear of white and red, in the boughs of a dead tree that leaned over a stagnating river. Kagome's heart almost stood still at the sight of the huddled form at the top. "Inuyasha," she whispered.   
  
Then she remembered what had brought her there. The winged demon suddenly swooped down, as silent and quick as a shadow, with its claws extended. Inuyasha apparently didn't hear it; he only started to stir, as if sensing something nearby.  
  
Kagome whipped out an arrow and fired it. "Leave him alone!" she shouted.   
  
The arrow slashed through the demon's batlike wing. It howled and thrashed against the tree -- only to have its head suddenly slashed off, and its wings falling in tatters to the ground. Inuyasha landed beside its body, with his claws still ready to slash again if it moved. But with a final shudder, the creature died completely.  
  
Kagome hesitated. Inuyasha stared down at the demon he had just killed, then looked at her. His golden eyes widened.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered.  
  
"K-Kagome," Inuyasha stammered, looking bewildered. "But... how..."  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, taking a step toward him. The young half-demon moved toward her. "SIT."  
  
Inuyasha barely had time to yelp before slamming face-first into the ground. "What was that for?" he snapped, springing back up.  
  
"What was that for?" Kagome said, seizing the front of his white shirt. "You wanna know what that was for? That was for running off like that! How could you do that to me?"  
  
"How... could I...?" Inuyasha could barely say a word, given the way Kagome was rattling him.  
  
"Do you have any idea how scared I was when you knocked me down and ran away? And then I didn't know if you were going to be okay -- I didn't know if you were going to go try to drown yourself or turn into a full demon for good, or do something really stupid." Tears were welling up in her eyes. "You just don't get it. You shouldn't have run away -- you should have let me help."  
  
Inuyasha was too stunned to speak, even when she stopped shaking him. She had been scared... not OF him, but FOR him? "Kagome... I-I'm sorry," he said slowly. "But I had to go -- I can't stay around you and the others anymore... if I could turn into a full demon." Especially not you, he added silently. I can't let you be around, in case this... monster inside me gets out again.  
  
"I'm not going to let you just run away and go crazy and die," Kagome said through her tears. "I know it's dangerous, but I don't care."  
  
"Kagome-"  
  
"Put this on." Kagome slipped out of the fire-rat robe and held it out to him. "And just stop arguing with me, because one way or another I'm going to help you. I won't let you be alone and scared out here."  
  
Inuyasha avoided her eyes. "Who said I was scared?"  
  
"Aren't you?"   
  
Inuyasha didn't reply. But Kagome knew what his silence meant. She slipped her hand around his arm and gave it a slight squeeze. She didn't know whether Inuyasha would transform again -- but she knew that the thread wasn't going to keep her away from him.  
  
Kagome, Inuyasha was thinking. What if it happens again, and I can't stop myself?...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	14. Heart of a Monster Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
  
.  
  
Shippo found Sango's weapon, sunk in the mud near the mountain. Miroku helped her lift it out and wipe it down; the last thing they needed was for Sango to get gobs of mud in her face during a battle.  
  
As he rubbed off the last streaks of filth, Sango glanced over her shoulder. "Miroku... do you think... Kagome will be all right if she finds Inuyasha?" she said.  
  
"Well, she did say he had returned to normal," Miroku said reluctantly. "I wish she hadn't left alone, but all the same, I know she would never leave Inuyasha alone during a crisis."  
  
Sango hesitated before asking, "If you were in her place... if you had to put yourself in danger to make sure that someone you... cared about wasn't alone... do you think you would do the same?"  
  
Miroku avoided her eyes. "Er, why do you ask?"  
  
"Hey, Miroku!" Shippo interjected, jumping on the edge of Sango's boomerang. "I think I just saw a shadow going through the clouds."  
  
Miroku put Sango's question out of his mind as the three of them ran through the mist, with Kirara in a makeshift sling on Sango's back. Now wasn't the time. Now was the time to pursue that crone, and somehow break whatever spell was on Inuyasha. The problem was, Miroku wasn't sure how to do it. The old woman was clearly very powerful, and Miroku didn't know exactly how she had roused Inuyasha's demon nature, despite the Tetsusaiga's powerful influence.  
  
It may harm him even more than we thought, if she keeps forcing him to transform, Miroku thought. Weaken him, at the very least. To overcome a powerful spell like the one on the Tetsusaiga... well, it can't be easy on him.  
  
"You're awfully quiet, Miroku," Shippo said.   
  
"I was just thinking," Miroku said. "Sango, how is Kirara's leg?"  
  
Sango glanced down at the little fire-cat. "She still can't walk on it. I don't think she'll be able to for at least a few days."  
  
"I thought not. Shippo, could you fly overhead and look for some of those flying demons?"  
  
"You think they'll lead us to the old lady?" Shippo asked.  
  
"It certainly seems that she commands them. But be very careful." Miroku watched as Shippo vanished, leaving a walleyed pink bubble in his place. The bubble floated over their heads and into the mist.  
  
As Miroku and Sango continued running, Sango turned to him and asked, "What do you think Kagome is doing now?"  
  
"Hopefully she's with Inuyasha," Miroku puffed, hurdling a fallen tree, with the slayer right behind him. "That is, if he's normal again."  
  
.  
  
Dammit, Inuyasha thought, wrapping his arms around himself. He had barely spoken to Kagome since she had found him. He couldn't -- what could he say? He didn't admit fear very often, let alone the horrible, doomed kind that was filling his soul. Besides, even if he admitted it, it wasn't like he could really show it. What could he do? Blubber into her shoulder? No way.  
  
I have to keep strong in this, Inuyasha thought, gritting his teeth. I can't lose to my demon half. If I do... no, I won't lose. I can't. If I do, Kagome will...  
  
He stole a glance at her. She was crouched down on a little tree stump, staring off into the mists and fingering her bow. At least if worst comes to worst, he thought, she could kill me with that. Even as a full demon, a sacred arrow would stop me...  
  
Kagome caught his gaze. "Why are you sulking so much?" she asked.  
  
"I ain't sulking."  
  
"Yes you are. You haven't said a word to me in two hours." Kagome stood up. For a moment, Inuyasha thought she was going to leave -- but she was just wiping a smear of dirt on her short skirt. "Ever since I got here, you've been acting all weird. I know that you must be--"  
  
"Don't you get it?" Inuyasha suddenly burst out. "I didn't want you with me! I wanted you to stay away from me, and I wish you would go NOW!"  
  
Kagome drew back, looking as if she had been slapped.  
  
Then she suddenly turned away. Inuyasha couldn't see her face, but somehow he knew that tears were rising in her eyes. He put a hand toward her shoulder. "Kagome... wait... I didn't... mean it like that," he said haltingly. "It's not that I... don't want you with me. I just HATE having you see me like this."  
  
Kagome slowly turned around. Inuyasha's teeth were gritted, and he was clenching his fists. "Like what?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
"Turning into a full demon. I hate having you see me when I'm out of control... and I hate having you be in danger because I can't stop myself. That why I don't want you near me," Inuyasha mumbled. "If you're somewhere else, I know you're safe from me."  
  
Kagome's eyes softened. "Inuyasha, it's okay," she said quietly. "I was with you before, remember?"  
  
"Not really," Inuyasha mumbled. "I don't remember any of it. That's why I was freakin' out when I woke up."  
  
"The thing is," Kagome continued, "you didn't hurt me at all during that time."  
  
Inuyasha flinched. "Yeah, but next time there's no guarantee. It gets worse every single time."  
  
He fell silent, hunching over as if he wanted to curl up and disappear. Kagome wanted to hug him, but knew that right now he didn't want anyone to come close... even if it was to comfort him. Don't you see, Inuyasha? she thought. You didn't hurt me before, and I don't believe you'll hurt me if you transform again. I'll take that risk... just so you won't be by yourself and afraid.   
  
Suddenly Inuyasha stiffened. "I smell her," he whispered. "The crone."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	15. Heart of a Monster Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
  
.  
  
At least one good thing has happened, Kagome thought. At least that got Inuyasha out of his funk.  
  
"Stay close, Kagome," Inuyasha said in a low voice, half-pulling her behind him.  
  
"I'll try," Kagome puffed, trying to keep up with him. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"Yeh?"  
  
"Can you think of anything you might have done to this old woman to make her hate you so much?"  
  
Inuyasha slowed down a little, a pensive expression coming onto his face. He grimaced. "No. Can't think of anybody like that." He glanced down at the ground. "Course, I used to cause a lot of problems. So maybe I have some enemies that I don't know about."  
  
"Well, it sounded like she really had it in for you. And really personally! It would take something major to make her still hate you after fifty years!" Kagome said, clutching at his sleeve. "Think, Inuyasha! There has to have been somebody!"  
  
Inuyasha bit his lip. "I can't think of anybody. The only old woman I can think of who would have reason to hate me is Kaede, and she'd never do anything like this."  
  
Kagome felt more frustrated than ever. She felt that they were so close to finding out what this crone had against Inuyasha. But if he knew, he had half-forgotten it. It couldn't have had anything to do with love, she mused. Inuyasha's first love was Kikyo, and besides, this woman would have been way too old for him fifty years ago. Revenge for somebody's death? Probably not, but maybe -- even in feudal times, where people sometimes died like flies, and lots of demons killed people. Why single out Inuyasha?  
  
"We're not gonna solve anything by standing here," Inuyasha said finally. "We gotta find that crone and stop her -- kill her if necessary. Then it won't matter what grudge she has against me."  
  
Kagome followed him through the mist and trees, still clutching tightly to his sleeve. "Inuyasha," she said slowly.   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do you know how this woman might have gotten control over your demon side? Or why you suddenly changed back to normal again?"  
  
"No idea to either," Inuyasha grunted. His former fears came flooding back at Kagome's words. "And Kagome-"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"If I transform again... I don't want you near me." A shadow seemed to fall over his face. "Promise me you'll run and not look back."  
  
Kagome's eyes softened. Inuyasha, she thought. Why can't you see that I won't do that?  
  
Suddenly the branches above them started rattling. The wind began to moan, and the mist floated around the two, almost hiding them from sight. It made Kagome's skin feel cold and clammy. She wrapped her arms around herself, and shivered.   
  
"Get behind me, quick!" Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him, and quickly drew the Tetsusaiga. Even if it can't stop me from transforming now, he thought, I can still do some damage with it.  
  
"There's another one!" Kagome whispered. A dark shape had swooped down out of the mist, then up and out of sight.  
  
"She's here," Inuyasha growled. "I can smell her."  
  
They crouched in the mist for a long time, watching the trees for any more demons. From time to time, Inuyasha sniffed the air, and growled. Kagome clung to him, not daring to speak. What was going to happen when the old woman showed up?  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone appearing in the forest path. The form hobbled painfully, as if one of its legs wasn't working quite right. And it was covered in a ragged old robe that hid it completely. That must be her, Kagome thought. Inuyasha, be careful.  
  
Inuyasha stood up, and stepped into the path. "You there, old crone," he growled. "I have a score to settle with you."  
  
The figure looked up at him. And her wrinkled face shifted into a none-too-pleasant smile. "Inuyasha. I've been expecting you."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	16. Heart of a Monster Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN  
  
.  
  
"Sango, stop!" Miroku called.  
  
The demon slayer slowed and stopped. She turned to face the monk behind her. "What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Did you see that shadow in the sky?" Miroku asked.  
  
Sango glanced up at the thick, murky clouds. "No... no, I wasn't... ah!" She gasped as something passed over them, like a fish swimming in muddy water. A chill went down her back. "It's one of them."  
  
"Seems so," Miroku said grimly. He reached into his robe and pulled out a handful of spell scrolls.  
  
"Do you think they're... keeping an eye on us?" Sango asked.  
  
"Or on Shippo," Miroku said. "That's what particularly worries me." He glanced up at the thick clouds. "He's been gone for a very long time, and I'm just wondering if he's lost..."  
  
Suddenly Sango stumbled and fell headfirst against Miroku's chest. She gave a little squeak of dismay. Miroku quickly grabbed her elbows and steadied her, ignoring the faint, curious mews from Kirara. "Are you all right, Sango?" he asked.  
  
"Y-yes -- I stepped on a wet rock," Sango said. She looked rather flustered as she steadied herself on Miroku's arm. Almost out of habit, his hand began to settle down Sango's back, down to...  
  
Suddenly something popped over him. Shippo landed lightly on his head, and peered upside-down at Miroku's eyes. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the kitsune said calmly.  
  
"What?" Sango asked.  
  
"Nothing," Miroku said hastily, sticking his hands in his sleeves. "So, Shippo, what did you see up there? You were gone for a long time."  
  
"Did you see Kagome or Inuyasha?" Sango added.   
  
"I had to keep using foxfire to clear away the fog. Otherwise, I couldn't see a thing," Shippo said, sitting cross-legged on Miroku's head. "But I didn't see Kagome or Inuyasha. There was lots of fog under me though, but I bet I could've heard them if they had been nearby."  
  
"That's true," Miroku said. He felt even more worried now; he didn't like the idea of Kagome wandering unprotected for who-knows-how-long, with a possibly murderous Inuyasha in the woods. "And what about those demons up in the clouds?"  
  
"There are dozens of them. But none of them really bothered me."  
  
Kirara suddenly hissed, her fur standing on end. "Miroku, look!" Sango said suddenly, pointing at the sky.  
  
Where only a few dark shadows had been lurking before, now dozens were churning up the clouds. Miroku looked up, and gripped his staff tightly. "Sango, get ready," he said in a low voice. Sango unslung her boomerang, looking grim.   
  
Shippo bounced down from Miroku's head. "W-what?" he stammered. "There weren't that many before!"  
  
"There are now!" Miroku said. "Stay behind me, Shippo!"  
  
As one of the winged demons swooped down from the sky, Miroku swung his staff in a wide arc, smashing into its throat. He managed to cut it with the jangling rings on the end, but almost wrenched his arm in the process. Damn! he thought, scanning the sky. Others were circling overhead -- and until he knew that the hag wasn't there, he couldn't use his wind tunnel.  
  
.  
  
"I don't know what you did to me to make me transform," Inuyasha growled, raising one clawed hand in a passive-aggressive gesture. "But you ain't gonna have a chance to do it again."  
  
"Whatever are you talking about?" the old woman said. Her wrinkled face creased into a gap-toothed grin.  
  
"Don't give me any of that crap!" Inuyasha snarled. "I heard all about your little tricks -- and I know you've done somethin' to me!"  
  
The old woman stood up a little straighter, and her robe flapped open in the listless wind. Kagome gasped as she saw the clothing under it. She had seen that clothing before, on a different woman... "Inuyasha, be careful!" she said, running out to him. "She's a dark priestess..."  
  
The old woman stared coldly at Kagome for a moment, almost as if the sight of the girl made her angry. Why's she LOOKING at me like that? Kagome thought, clutching at Inuyasha's sleeve.  
  
"Heh," Inuyasha said, smirking. "So that explains how you've got enough power to harm me. Well, you won't be the first one I've fought, and that other one sure ain't around to tell her story anymore." He grimaced. "I just want to know one more thing. Why do you hate me, if I've never even met you before? I'm assuming that I never did, 'cause I don't remember anything about you, crone."  
  
"You're right, halfbreed," the old woman sneered. "We have never met. But I am here on behalf of someone whose life you destroyed."  
  
"Oh yeah, and who's that?" Inuyasha shouted.  
  
The old woman's small eyes narrowed even further, and her robe swirled ominously around her. "I'm here... because of Kikyo."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	17. Heart of a Monster Chapter Seventeen

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN  
  
.  
  
"Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered.  
  
Kagome recognized the look of shock on Inuyasha's face, and felt a pang. Inuyasha wouldn't believe anything negative about his first love, now a wandering undead priestess full of bitterness. But she was shocked too -- Kikyo had fought against dark priestesses. What did she have to do with this old woman?  
  
And more importantly, Kagome thought, why would this dark priestess be attacking Inuyasha on Kikyo's behalf, if the old woman was everything Kikyo had fought against?  
  
"How sad," the old woman said with a smile. "I suppose she never mentioned her beloved old teacher to you, did she?"  
  
"You're a filthy liar!" Inuyasha snarled. "Kikyo never would've had anything to do with a dark priestess!"  
  
"I was not ALWAYS a dark priestess, ignorant halfbreed," the crone sneered. "But I became one for the sake of one curse -- to curse you, by turning you into a mindless killer. Not that it took much." Her eyes narrowed. "You already were a murderer, the day you slew my poor Kikyo."  
  
Inuyasha drew back, shocked.   
  
"Your poor Kikyo?" Kagome whispered.  
  
"She was more than my pupil," the old crone said. A tear glittered in her small eyes. "More like a daughter. I doted on her and taught her every skill I knew. Kikyo was the most powerful priestess in an age, with powers that put all others to shame -- and the pride of my old life. But you, Inuyasha -- you stole all that from her.  
  
"I heard of Kikyo's love for a worthless half-demon," the old woman said, "fifty years ago. And then when I went to the village where she had lived, I learned that you had wounded her and left her to die so you could steal the Shikon jewel, but that as you destroyed her home village, she summoned the last of her strength and killed you." The crone smiled grimly. "It was just as well for you, because if you had been left free, I would have killed you myself."  
  
"Sure you could have," Inuyasha snapped.   
  
The old woman held out one hand, and uncurled her gnarled fingers. She was holding a little glass orb, about the size of a marble, with a thin spidery crack running over one side of it. Suspended inside were a few drops of something red.  
  
"W-what is that?" Inuyasha said.  
  
"Your blood," the crone said.  
  
"What?" Kagome cried. "How did you get that?"  
  
"He was pinned to a tree for fifty years, wench," the crone said. "I knew that one day, a demon or powerful human might be able to break the spell on him. So I came to the clearing in the forest of Inuyasha, cut his hand, and took some blood from him. For a curse," she added, "that would destroy his blackened soul if he ever got loose."  
  
"You're wrong!" Kagome said, standing between Inuyasha and the dark priestess. "Inuyasha didn't kill Kikyo! And she's... she's not really dead anymore. She came back-"  
  
"Wicked child," the crone sneered. "You have the gall to take Kikyo's appearance, and lie to me?"  
  
"I'm not-" Kagome stammered. "I mean, I didn't -- I'm her --"  
  
"Forget it, Kagome," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "This old hag's gone mad with all her anger." His claws cracked ominously. "Crone, I never touched a hair on Kikyo's head. And if you don't take that curse off me -- I'll take it off myself the hard way."  
  
"So very confident," the old woman said. "Did you forget that I can transform you into a full demon anytime I please? If it hadn't been for that wretched kitsune's pitiful powers, you never would have gone back to your ordinary form again."  
  
She slowly turned her cold eyes to Kagome. "Maybe I should turn you now, and leave you with this girl who pretends to be Kikyo. Did you go to her after you murdered Kikyo, I wonder?"  
  
"You... HAG!" Inuyasha sprang forward, claws bared.  
  
The old woman gripped the little sphere -- and Inuyasha stumbled to his knees with a howl of pain. "Inuyasha!" Kagome said, rushing over to him. He was shaking and gripping his head -- it was hurting him, not like it had when he transformed naturally.  
  
"K-Kagome!" Inuyasha cried. "Get away from me! Run! Go!" His groans ended in a pained yelp.  
  
Inuyasha... Kagome thought, clutching at his shirt. She looked up at the old woman. "Stop it!" she shouted tearfully. "Stop hurting him! He didn't do anything wrong-"  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha growled ferally. He looked up at the old woman; jagged purple lines were forming on his cheeks, and a reddish glow was creeping over his eyes. He wasn't transformed yet, but in a matter of seconds he would be. Kagome landed hard on her backside as the half-transformed Inuyasha leaped up, and took a desperate swipe at the old woman.  
  
A screech from the sky startled him. One of the winged demons swooped down and caught the crone in its claws, lifting her into the air.  
  
"You won't get away!" Inuyasha snarled. His voice was getting rougher and colder. He leaped up into the air, reaching for the old woman.   
  
The tiny orb in her fingers flashed bright red -- and Inuyasha screamed, crashing back down to the ground. The demon and crone flew out of sight, and vanished into the thick clouds.  
  
Kagome almost felt her heart stop. Inuyasha was slowly getting up from the rut he had left in the dirt. His eyes were scarlet now, and his claws and fangs were twice as long as they usually were. Worst of all, he was angry. His rage from before he transformed had been multiplied now that his last vestiges of sanity were gone.  
  
And there was no mistaking the way he was staring at her, with that wicked, crazed grimace on his face. Inuyasha wanted to kill her.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	18. Heart of a Monster Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN  
  
.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. She backed away, still clutching her bow and quiver.   
  
Inuyasha's blood-red eyes followed her. He was all-demon now, and past any reasoning. In this state, Kagome knew, he just killed and killed, just for the pure pleasure it brought him. And he was staring at her with the rage-filled snarl that he had had when he killed the demon Goshinki. His fingers were curled, and his wicked claws were gleaming faintly. He was almost shaking with rage and bloodlust.  
  
Kagome knew that she couldn't outrun him. He wasn't just uncontrollable when he was like this -- he was also infinitely stronger physically. She wanted to run desperately, but she was too terrified to move. All she could imagine was Inuyasha chasing her with a look of glee on his face, cutting her down with those too-long claws, and the look on his face when she was down. And worst of all... there would be no one to help him then...  
  
Then she noticed something. Inuyasha wasn't attacking.  
  
Kagome's heart lifted a little. Inuyasha... are you still in there? she thought.  
  
He was still looking at her hungrily, still threatening her with his hands. He obviously wanted to kill her. But at the same time, Inuyasha hadn't moved a step toward her. He just stood where he was, staring at her. His body was shivering with the urge to kill... something he hadn't done before when he transformed. Every other time, he had just slashed down his enemies with his bare hands, grinning. There hadn't been this hesitation.  
  
He looks like he's... fighting it... Kagome thought. She said hesitantly, "Inuyasha...."  
  
Inuyasha growled at her under his breath, and his red eyes flashed.  
  
He's still there! Kagome thought. She took a step toward him. "Inuyasha.... it's okay. Everything is going to be okay," she said softly.   
  
"Stay away," Inuyasha said gutturally. "Or... I'll kill you..."  
  
"I don't think you will," Kagome said. She took another step.   
  
"Stay away!" Inuyasha snarled. He tensed, as if he were going to spring at her.  
  
Kagome paused for a moment... and dropped her bow. I wouldn't use it against him anyway, she thought. Inuyasha's red eyes flicked down to the bow, then back to her face. "No one's threatening you now, Inuyasha," Kagome said softly. "Please... just calm down."  
  
"Get away from me!" Inuyasha's voice was barely more than a growl. His claws clicked ominously. "You know... I'll kill you... go away..."  
  
"I don't think you will." Kagome took another step. "You had plenty of chances to kill me before, and I don't think you'll hurt me now."  
  
She could see now that the real Inuyasha -- the half-demon boy she knew -- was hidden underneath that snarling demon face. He was struggling so hard, and somehow he was He still hadn't budged from where he was standing. And he could have killed me a dozen times over by now, Kagome thought. But he hasn't. He's still in there! I can reach him if I try... I know I can...  
  
His arms jerked as Kagome stopped in front of him, and his eyes flashed. For one horrible moment, Kagome wondered if she had been wrong. Then the fire in his eyes subsided, although his clawed hands were still shaking. He was still fighting the urge to kill her. Still fighting.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome said softly. Trying not to startle him, she raised a hand and touched his striped cheek. "It's okay."  
  
He stared at her as if she had lost her mind.  
  
"Nobody's going to hurt you now. Please..."  
  
He still stared at her, not responding to her words... but he wasn't lashing out either. Please, Inuyasha, Kagome thought. Please come back... just hang on to yourself.   
  
Deep inside the death-hungry creature, something whispered Kagome's name. It drifted from his lips, torn into a broken whisper. But Kagome heard it. And she dared to hope that she could do more.   
  
She carefully moved her hands up, trying to not startle him. He stiffened as she gently hugged his chest, hoping that she could bring him further back to normal. Not entirely -- the curse was still corrupting him. But if she could help him hang on to himself, to his soul.  
  
At any moment, she expected to hear him snarl at her again, or feel him slash into her exposed back. He certainly could do it, just by raising his arm. But he didn't. He just stood there, trembling and staring over her shoulder at nothing.  
  
"Ka... go... me," she heard him rasp.  
  
"I won't leave you," Kagome replied softly. "Not even now."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	19. Heart of a Monster Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN  
  
.  
  
A leathery wing almost smacked Miroku off his feet. Grimacing, he slashed at the demon's reptilian head, and almost got his cursed hand bitten off -- only to see Sango's boomerang lash out, severing the demon's head.   
  
There were dozens of them now, swooping and diving at the three. Kirara growled and hissed, but she could barely stand on her injured leg. Shippo was throwing fox-fire into the eyes of any demon who came near him. And Sango and Miroku  
  
We need Inuyasha! Miroku thought wildly. If he were here, I could suck these demons away in an instant. But until I know where he is, and whether he's a full demon, I can't risk-  
  
Suddenly his eye caught a glimpse of a bowed, hobbling figure not far away. As he ran toward the old woman, he saw two winged demons looming over her in the mist. "You!" he shouted. "Call off these demons, or I'll kill every last one of them!"  
  
"A brave one, are you?" the old woman sneered.  
  
Miroku started to loosen the beads on his wrist. "Have you killed Inuyasha?" he asked grimly.  
  
"Dead? Oh no." The old woman smiled.   
  
"What do you have against him?"  
  
"That is my own affair, young monk." A demon swooped down low, and Miroku barely managed to fend it off. The old woman just smiled lazily.  
  
"where is he?" Miroku said breathlessly, holding out his staff. "What have you done to him?"  
  
"I haven't harmed a hair on his head. But I doubt that you'll want to see him now. That girl he was with will just be a few scraps of flesh, and drops of blood on his fingers. A fitting fate for the beast Inuyasha."  
  
For a moment, Miroku saw the world in blood-red. This woman had set Inuyasha against Kagome, and the human girl was almost certainly dead now. As Miroku started to loosen the beads from his wrist, something whizzed overhead and smashed into the demons. A boomerang. It was Sango, with a flame in her eyes.  
  
Knocked off-balance by her fallen demons, the old woman crumpled to the ground, and something small and round bounced from her fingers. Miroku's eyes widened. That must be what I saw her holding before -- something that has power over Inuyasha, he thought.  
  
It was a little glass sphere, with a thin crack on one side. Suspended inside it were what looked like drops of blood. And though Miroku wasn't entirely sure, he was willing to bet that the blood belonged to Inuyasha.  
  
But before he could reach it, one of the demons smashed into him and sent him flying against Sango. Shippo cried out in dismay, "Miroku! Sango! Are you okay?"  
  
The old woman bent down and scooped up the sphere. "Nearly as troublesome as Inuyasha," she snapped.   
  
Miroku stumbled to his feet as the old woman slid onto the back of one of the winged demons.  
  
If I'm right, he thought, then Shippo's foxfire caused that crack... and returned Inuyasha to normal for a short time. So if the sphere is destroyed, perhaps he'll return to normal. "Old woman!" he shouted. "Give me that sphere, or I'll draw you into a void!" He half-removed the beads from his wrist.  
  
"If you kill me without the spell being broken, boy," the old woman said as the demon started to fly away, "then Inuyasha will die as well."  
  
"I don't believe you!" Miroku shouted. But, he thought, Inuyasha is as good as dead if he isn't turned back to normal. He started to remove the beads, determined to kill the old woman.  
  
"Stop!" Sango cried suddenly.  
  
Something round and pink was floating up behind the old woman. It was Shippo, puffing determinedly after the demon. Before the crone could notice him, a swirl of blue fire spiraled out and enveloped her hand. The old woman shrieked, her flesh burning. And the sphere exploded into tiny shards of glass.  
  
The old woman wheeled around at the kitsune. "Wretch!" she snarled.  
  
The demon slashed at Shippo with its tail, knocking him down from the sky. The little kitsune fell, wailing along the way -- until another demon leaped high into the air, caught him in its mouth and landed with a crash on the ground. When the dust settled, Miroku saw who it was -- Kirara. She shrank back into her smaller form, and pitifully licked her injured leg.  
  
"Miroku, quickly!" Sango cried. "The spell's been broken!"  
  
Miroku tore off the beads. He got a brief glance of the crone's face, contorted with fear and rage, before she was sucked into the void in his palm. With a grimace, Miroku turned his hand up to the sky and watched as the dozens of flying demons were drawn into his wind tunnel, along with much of the mist.  
  
Finally he wrapped the beads around his wrist again. And a cold, dead silence fell over the clearing. Shippo limped over, covered in mud.   
  
"We have to find out... what's happened to Kagome and Inuyasha," Miroku said heavily. But he suspected that he didn't want to know.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	20. Heart of a Monster Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY  
  
.  
  
Kagome felt it, since she was still standing with her arms around Inuyasha. She hadn't budged in what felt like hours. He was still shaking, still fighting against the desire to hurt her. But he was still fighting, and Kagome's fear had ebbed away. There was no way she was going to let him deal with all this alone!   
  
And then she felt it.  
  
Her eyes went wide as a strange pulsing seemed to pass through his body. Goosebumps rose on Kagome's skin where she was touching him. "Inuyasha," she whispered. "What's happening....?"  
  
Inuyasha gasped.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome said, hugging him tighter. What was wrong? Was that horrible old woman hurting him again?  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha clutched at her. His long claws dug into her back, making her wince. But what concerned her was the long, painful groan he let out. Kagome held him tightly. Then he suddenly went limp in her arms. Kagome staggered backwards, with Inuyasha draped limply against her. "Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Can you hear me? Inuyasha?"  
  
Somehow she managed to sit down on the ground, and eased Inuyasha down on his back. And then she saw that he was normal again. The lines had vanished from his cheekbones, and there was no reddish glow from his half-closed eyes. Even his claws had shrunk back to normal.  
  
Kagome's face softened. As carefully as she could, she cradled Inuyasha's head and shoulders in her arms.  
  
.  
  
Miroku didn't know what they were going to find, but he was dreading it. He ran alongside Sango through the mist, calling Inuyasha's name. Shippo was tottering after them, wailing, "Kagome! Inuyasha! KAGOME!"  
  
Miroku didn't tell the kitsune that in all likelihood, Kagome was already dead. It weighed on his heart that he had let her go after Inuyasha despite the danger. From the look on Sango's face, he guessed that she felt the same way -- especially since she and Kagome were such friends.  
  
Then Sango pointed. "Over there!"  
  
There was a blotch of red in the middle of the mist. As the three came closer, they saw that it was Inuyasha. But he wasn't on a rampage. Instead he was sprawled on the ground, with his head in Kagome's lap, not moving. Her uniform looked a little tattered, but she wasn't hurt.   
  
"Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted. "Is he dead?"  
  
"No, he's just sleeping," Kagome said quietly. She stroked Inuyasha's hair. "I think all those forced transformations just wore him out. So when he turned back to normal, he just sort of passed out."  
  
Miroku sighed. "That's a relief."  
  
"Kagome," Sango said, kneeling beside her friend. "We thought that Inuyasha had killed you."  
  
"He could have," Kagome said. "But he didn't, no matter how angry he got. "   
  
Inuyasha stirred in his sleep, snuggled against Kagome's elbow.   
  
"If he's exhausted," Miroku said quietly, "maybe we should make camp here, and let him rest."  
  
"Okay. But what happened to the old woman?" Kagome said, stiffening. "We encountered her, and she turned Inuyasha into-"  
  
"She's dead," Sango said. "Miroku sucked her into his wind tunnel. And the curse should be off Inuyasha. He won't transform again."  
  
Relieved, Kagome looked down at Inuyasha's face. He looked peaceful and tired, like a child kept up past its bedtime. "I'll explain what the old woman had against Inuyasha," she said quietly. "It's a pretty strange story."   
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	21. Heart of a Monster Chapter TwentyOne

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE  
  
.  
  
"So... this woman was Kikyo's... mentor?" Miroku asked.   
  
"That's what she said," Kagome replied. "She believed that Inuyasha killed Kikyo fifty years ago, and she was determined to wreck his life for it. I tried to tell her that Inuyasha never hurt Kikyo, but... well, she wouldn't believe me." She clenched her fists. "What she did to Inuyasha was so horrible. She taunted him right before she transformed him again!"  
  
Miroku glanced over at Inuyasha. The half-demon was still dead to the world, but Kagome and Sango had rolled him up in Kagome's sleeping bag. Now he was curled up, snoring softly.   
  
"Fortunately," Miroku said, "she won't have the opportunity to do it again. When we last saw her, she was being pulled into my wind tunnel."  
  
"And good riddance!" Shippo said, disgusted.   
  
"And Shippo was the one who broke the curse?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Yes. He floated up to the hag while she was distracted, and used foxfire to destroy the sphere with Inuyasha's blood inside," Miroku said. "It must have been that moment when Inuyasha transformed back to normal."  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha groaned and began stretching out in the sleeping bag. "I gotta go now," Kagome said quickly. She crawled over to him and sat bby his side, waiting for him to wake up.  
  
"What I can't understand," Sango said quietly, "is how Inuyasha managed to control himself for such a long time. As a full demon, he's never held back on killing things -- he even warned Kagome to stay away from him."  
  
"It may be that since these transformations were forced and unnatural," Miroku said equally quietly, "it wasn't quite the same as his prior transformations. Perhaps because these changes were different, he was able to keep some kind of tenuous grip on himself." He glanced over at Kagome. "On the other hand... it might have been something else entirely."  
  
.  
  
Kagome watched as Inuyasha's eyes flickered open. He still looked exhausted. "K-Kagome?" he whispered.  
  
"Yes, Inuyasha. I'm right here."  
  
"You all right?"  
  
"I'm fine," Kagome said warmly. "Don't worry about it, okay? Just try to rest up. You were really worn out when you turned back to normal."  
  
Inuyasha paused for a moment. "The old hag?"  
  
"She's dead. Miroku pulled her into his wind tunnel."  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Wha' about me?"  
  
"Don't worry, Inuyasha! Shippo broke the old woman's spell. You won't be transforming into a full demon anymore."  
  
Inuyasha seemed to sag with relief. "That's good to hear," he mumbled, turning onto his stomach. "You sure you're okay?"  
  
"You didn't even scratch me," Kagome assured him. She thought, You see, Inuyasha! I knew that you wouldn't hurt me, even as a full demon. And I was right all along...  
  
She stroked his white hair fondly. And for once, Inuyasha didn't pull away or protest at this sign of affection.   
  
Kirara limped over, with her little leg carefully bandaged. Demons healed quickly, so she was already doing better. But Sango estimated that it would be at least a few days before the little fire-cat could carry them again. "Hey there, Kirara," Kagome said, patting the wounded demon on the head.  
  
Inuyasha didn't open his eyes as Kirara came over to him. She purred and rubbed her head against his cheek. "Sorry 'bout that," Inuyasha mumbled, scratching her ears. "Didn't know what I was doing."  
  
After a few more minutes, he looked up at Kagome. "How long have I been sleepin'?"  
  
"Hours. But just rest, Inuyasha," Kagome said quickly. "Look, you really need it. Your body is all worn out." She smiled. "We'll all wait for you, however long you need."  
  
With a sigh, Inuyasha sank back into the sleeping bag and closed his eyes. And Kagome just sat and watched him, thinking.  
  
THE END. 


End file.
